2010 NFC East Preview: How 'bout Them Cowboys?

With football just around the corner, it's time to look at each division one day at a time and figure out how each one will play out.

The NFC East seems to be a unstable place to be if you're not the Cowboys. The Eagles are moving on with new QB, Kevin Kolb, thinking he will be better than Donovan McNabb. It's always hard to to predict how a QB will do in the Pros and the Eagles Fans are hoping they didn't roll snake eyes. Meanwhile, McNabb is getting to know his new team, the Redskins, and hopes to bring them up from last place in the division. He does have a good backfield to work with in Clinton Portis, Willie Parker, and Larry Johnson. One of them has to do good, right? Then there's the Giants who still have Eli Manning which means a shot at the playoffs. They have some formidable receivers as well but the big question mark with them seems to be their defense. Can Osi Umenyiora make a comeback?

Who will take the division? The one team who has no business being in the East: the Cowboys. There is so much buzz around this team with their performance last year and the fact they are starting to win playoffs games again. They seem to have gotten better with Dez Bryant being a new target for Tony Romo. They still have great running game, as well, with Marion Barber and Felix Jones. You also can't forget Mr. Dependable, Jason Witten. No team in the NFC East seems more complete than the Cowboys. They might even be the most complete team in the NFL.

P.S. Seriously, the other 3 teams are with a few hours drive of each other while the Dallas Cowboys are over a thousand miles away? The Panthers are closer than they are. They need to realign the divisions. And also why are the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South? Miami should be there.

Manny Goes to the White Sox

Manny's tenure with the Dodgers is over. Nearly a week after being claimed by the White Sox, the deal is approved and the White Sox get Manny. The Dodgers were trying to hold out for a sweeter deal or to see if they could get back in the NL West race over the weekend, but after the ejection of Manny in Sunday's game the Dodgers have had enough of Manny Being Manny. The White Sox need Ramirez to fill a batting role with them being 4 games behind the Twins. Manny may not seem like a great add on but he has been on the DL for quite some time. The White Sox may be too far behind the Twins to catch up, but they have greater chance of a comeback with Manny than without.

P.S. Ozzie Guillen has to manage Manny Ramirez? Anyone else smell reality show.

McNabb Could Miss the Opener

The Redskins big add on this off season may not be able to play the first game of the year. Donovan McNabb's ankle is still hurting since the 2nd preseason game against the Ravens. This opens up the possibility that McNabb will miss the opener against Dallas. The NFC East contains teams that are mostly question marks, except for maybe the Dallas Cowboys. With this uncertain division, every game could matter. Without McNabb, the Redskins don't stand much of a chance against the Cowboys. It is crucial that he plays and I doubt he would miss the game, bad ankle or not.

End of the Strasburg Craze

After an electrifying summer of Stephen Strasburg, the attraction has been shut down. Not to preserve injury, but to recover from one. Stephen Strasburg has a torn ligament in his right elbow which will likely lead to Tommy John surgery. This likely avenue will set back Strasburg's development 12-18 months. He could possibly miss all of 2011 because of the torn ligament. It's ironic that the Nationals limited him so much and he still got a serious injury. Questions now arise on how this will affect the direction of Strasburg's career. He is only 22 and has plenty of time to comeback. Though, the hype attraction around this young phenom may be gone forever.

Albert Pujols Hits 400th

Washington DC had something else to watch besides Stephen Strasburg. Albert Pujols and the Cardinals played the Nationals in what would be a semi historic event. In the 4th inning, Albert Pujols hit his 400th Career Home Run. A nice swing hitting the ball into the Right Field seats. This makes Pujols the 3rd youngest ever to 400 home runs behind only A-Rod and Ken Griffey Jr. The Cardinals would lose this one, however, 11-10 in the 13th inning. In their close race for a playoff spot, Pujols might have wanted the win more. Anyway, congrats to Pujols for passing another checkpoint toward a hall of fame career.

The NFL Wants an 18 Game Schedule

Let's face it: the preseason games suck. No one wants to pay good money on a game that essentially means nothing. The only thing that Preseason football does is evaluate the questionable players and the rookies to see how to use them. The NFL knows this and is thinking about expanding the regular season by two games and cutting 2 preseason games. Owners want this new 18 game schedule by 2012. Meanwhile, the NFLPA doesn't want 18 games citing that it will be to costly to players health.

I side with the Union on this issue. 16 games is already grueling enough on some players, especially the linemen. While it is still essentially 20 games overall, there are two more competitive games that players are being worn out on. This expansion will shorten long careers and may lead to more injuries during the season. I like current 16 game schedule and wish it would stay.

However, there seems to be too much momentum to stop an eventual 18 game season. So when the owners do push this through, I hope the players get a bigger cut of the money and benefits.

P.S. Yes, I would support a lockout if it meant better player benefits. The fans need to understand that this is not just for the outspoken stars but the grunt players of the league and the back ups as well. The media just shows the millionaires, not billionaires.

Should the Nats Shut Down Strasburg?

When showing off the circus attraction named Stephen Strasburg, there were concerns about wearing him out too much his first season. The Nationals (that's right, I spelled it right) have done a good job with Strasburg so far limiting him to around five innings per game, so that he doesn't strain his arm, and also putting him on the DL once already this season with tightness in his shoulder. It seemed all was right again until Strasburg strained a tendon on his throwing arm. The Nationals now have placed him on the DL and will run further tests to see if there is any damage.

With the Nationals being overly protective like a new mother, a new question has shown up: Should the Nationals just shut down Stephen Strasburg for the rest of the season? While they will make that decision based on what the tests show, I say just sit him down. Why risk serious injury for your top developing player on a season that has no meaning for your organization? True, he would get more experience and the team would get more money from ticket sales, but it's just better to play it safe for now.

P.S. A better question for the Nationals is when will they actually be relevant?

Damon Going Back to Boston?

Of the 2004 Red Sox squad, Johnny Damon was hailed of as one of the idiots. He helped end the Curse of the Red Sox and did it with style (Nice Hair). Then he shocked The Nation by signing with the Yankees a year later which destroyed most of his reputation with the Red Sox faithful. Damon has been playing for the Tigers this year and has been placed on waivers. Which team would step up to claim him: the Red Sox. The Sox have claimed Damon and are waiting to see if Damon will waive his no trade clause.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea. Not that the Red Sox fans wouldn't hate the idea of Damon coming back, they may love it. But do they really need him? The Sox are over 5 games behind the Rays (now anyway) and the time for catching up is closing fast. True, they have suffered a lot of injuries this year and could use Johnny in the outfield but it just seems like it could all be for nothing. The Sox are getting better but it may be too late for them, even with Johnny Damon.

P.S. From a fan perspective, I still like Johnny Damon. Anyone part of that 2004 World Series team will always be loved by me. That includes you, Orlando Cabrera.

Lou Piniella's Last Game

Instead of waiting until the end of the season, Lou Piniella retired as the manager of the Cubs earlier today. Reasons for his early departure is Lou needing to spend more time with his ailing mother. Mike Quade will take over as the manager of the Cubs (for now). It was a shame that his last game was a huge loss 16-5 against the Braves. He finished his career with a overall record of 1,835-1,713. He had one World Series Title as a manager and a two as a player. There is some speculation that Lou will be a broadcaster sometime in the future but Lou says that he hasn't thought about that. I wish Lou a happy retirement and hope he will still stay apart of the game in some way.

Big Brother Indicts Roger Clemens

The Steroids chapter in baseball isn't over yet. Roger Clemens has been indicted for one count of obstruction of justice, 3 counts of false statements, and 2 counts of perjury, a total of 6 charges regarding his statements about Steroids and HGH while in front of Congress. This whole mess started for Roger when several sources said that Clemens took steroids, including his former trainer, Brian McNamee. Clemens testified before congress back in 2008 saying he did not and it seems his statements are coming back to haunt him. Now he faces a big trial and a possibility of 30 years in prison. This sentence is unlikely, however, as 15-21 months is apparently recommended (ESPN.com). Clemens has dug himself into a hole with his words. He should've stayed quiet like Bonds or just admitted it like A-Rod or Pettite. There is always the possibility of a deal but Clemens may have too much pride for that. Trial date, here we come.

P.S. Who the hell hangs on to old needles? You are a sick man, McNamee. Or maybe you just wanted to blackmail Clemens at a later time. If that, then brilliant and cruel.

Independence Day Coming for BYU?

With all the conference realignments made over the off season for the 2011 season, there may be one more. BYU is getting closer to leaving the Mountain West Conference and being a football independent while the rest of their sports programs join the Western Athletic Conference. Like most of the other schools that made changes this off season, BYU is doing this for more money they can get being an independent school. BYU would join Navy, Army, and Notre Dame in the independent category if they leave the MWC. BYU won't get the attention that Notre Dame gets but they will be able to get a custom schedule more to their liking hoping they can get a BCS Bowl game.

If BYU does leave the MWC, the MWC may become irrelevant. Sure they still have TCU but they don't have the history that BYU and Utah have. The MWC will likely try to make a special deal with BYU in order to keep them but it may not be enough.

P.S. Brett Favre coming back isn't news. He isn't even really coming back.

A Moment Maker Passes On

There are many great moments in sports that will live on forever: The Play in the Cal-Stanford game in 1982, Lou Gehrig's retirement speech, chasing OJ Simpson in his Ford Bronco for nothing. Unfortunately, those involved in the all time moments must pass on as well. Bobby Thomson, the man who hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World", passed away on August 16, 2010. The Shot came in the deciding game 3 of the 1951 NL Championship Series. It was the bottom of the 9th and the score was 4-2 in favor of the Brooklyn Dodgers with 2 runners on for the New York Giants. Thomson came up to the plate and hit the famous game ending home run to left field. Russ Hodges would immortalize the moment by saying "THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!" Though the Giants went on to lose the World Series that year (Damn Yankees), the clutch home run remained Legendary. Rest in Peace, Bobby Thomson. We will never forget your famous "Shot Heard 'Round the World."

P.S. You hear that, Dodgers. We won't ever forget it. GO GIANTS!!!

Westbrook Goes to the Niners

Brian Westbrook has been looking for a new home all off season and even tried to get one with the Redskins and his former QB, Donovan McNabb. After that didn't work, time passed and he waited for a good position to open up. The 49ers offered that position signing Westbrook to a one year deal with $1.25 million guaranteed. After the sudden retirement of Glen Coffee, the 49ers needed a 2nd back for Frank Gore. Westbrook is as good as it gets. This might be the perfect backfield combo with Frank Gore being the main HB and Westbrook being the 3rd down back. This move will make the offense better, making for more of a complete passing game.

P.S. Now only if the 49ers had a good QB.

NO MORE TIES!!! NO MORE TIES!!!

If there is one thing that I can't stand about certain sports it's that a game can end in a tie. This rarely happens in American Football, used to happen in Hockey until they changed the rules, and happens quite frequently in REAL Football. That may change for Football, however, as FIFA is considering getting rid of all ties at the World Cup. This of course is designed to get rid of ties during the group stage. This steps needs to be taken. The point of sports is to find out who wins. A tie is a slap in the face to all the fans that watch the game. I say let's consider getting rid of ties in Football all together. Hockey has changed the rules and it's worked out for them. Why not Football?

P.S. Not that ties are really a problem in American Football, the overtime system is a problem. Let them play a full 15 minutes without sudden death rules. Then go into college overtime rules if you don't have a winner.

Pippen and Malone Enter the Hall of Fame

The 2010 Basketball Hall of Fame class were inducted today and two of them stood out. One was the great Karl Malone who spent most of his career with the Utah Jazz and then one year with the Lakers. In his career, Malone scored the second most points of all time with 36,928 points being only behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points). Despite his numbers, Malone never won an NBA Title even with his one year stint with the Lakers. He was blocked from a title by the Pistons that year and the Bulls twice before. Karl Malone enters the Hall of Fame as one of the best scorers of all time but without a title.

The other noticeable inductee was the greatest wing man a star could ever have: Scottie Pippen. Michael Jordan was there to introduce Scottie as he should. As great as Jordan was, he would've never won all those titles without Scottie by his side (well at least one). Scottie was there for all 6 NBA Titles won by Jordan and the Bulls. Pippen of course was humble calling Jordan the Best Teammate. I am happy for Scottie getting the Hall of Fame nod. Today was truly the second fiddle's day.

P.S. The Dream Team was inducted into the Hall of Fame as well. I didn't know that whole squads could get in. Though most of 1992 Olympic Team had already earned the Hall of Fame spot individually. Hence the Dream Team.

K-Rod Going for a KO

Francisco Rodriguez is facing some serious trouble and no, it is not the 3 4 5 spots in the Yankee lineup. After Wednesday's game against the Rockies, K-Rod was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend's father. He was charged with 3rd Degree Assault and 2nd Degree Harassment. He was later released without bail. The Mets have shown their displeasure of K-Rod already by suspending him for two games. A reason for a quick punishment from the Mets is the fact that the assault happened at Citi Field. The Mets don't need him anyway as they are considered out of playoff contention being 57-57 and 9 games behind the Braves in the NL East. Two games, however, means nothing as K-Rod faces up to a year in jail if convicted. Any chance he'll room with Plaxico Burress?

The NL Central Brawl

Baseball has become a little dull lately what with all the great pitching performances and lack of drug scandals. What could be better to help spice things up than a rivalry going overboard. Apparently Brandon Phillips of the Reds made comments about the Cardinals before the game that insulted the defending Division Champs. He used some expletives that George Carlin would be proud of as he expressed his hatred for the Cardinals. This didn't sit well with Yadier Molina as he had a few words with Phillips in the first inning that would lead to a good old fashion brawl. There was a lot of pushing and shoving as both benches cleared for the altercation. However, only the managers, Tony La Russa and Dusty Baker, would be ejected, not Phillips or Molina.

Tension is obviously forming between these two teams as they are approaching the end of the season. The Reds have surprised many people in being in the NL Central race and having a good chance of getting into the playoffs. This brawl elevates that race even more and makes for an exciting finish. The Game would end with a Cardinals win, 8-4, as both teams are now tied for division. MLB will likely hand out some fines and/or suspensions for this but it was still worth it.

P.S. How come hockey players are allowed fight (to a degree)? Not that there should be fighting in the other sports but it's just interesting that the NHL has seemed to have allowed it provided the parties involved go sit on time out for a while. Probably because half the fans expect at least one fight between two toothless hockey players.

The NBA Goes International

For the past few years, the NFL has been hosting games in London in hoping to expand the brand further despite the fact the NFL Europe ceased operations. It seems that the NBA is continuing the international trend. The Nets and the Raptors will play two regular season games in early March at the O2 Arena in London which has already hosted NBA Preseason games.

These moves seem to be continuing the international trends of the major sports: MLB had the opening series in 2008 in Tokyo, the NHL has had some games in Europe, and the NFL incisively promotes American Football in London. Now to be fair, it has worked the other way around. In REAL football, the prestigious European teams, like Real Madrid and Man U, have come over here and played a few friendlies during their off season.

So the question remains: Is this a good move for the NBA? Yes and No. I do think that games overseas can be a good a thing for the sport. Basketball has much more prominence in the world than American Football. There's FIBA and an event for Basketball in the Olympics. American Football doesn't have an Olympic event. It is a bad move, however, by making the games feature the Nets and the Raptors. What about the Bulls, the Lakers, the Heat, or even the Mavericks. Of course, the big teams wouldn't want to give up any home games but it is still a lousy international selection.

P.S. I would usually say that all regular season games deserve to be played at home but it's only basketball.

P.P.S. Well, American Football does have an international organization for the sport. It's called the International Federation of American Football or IFAF. No, I'm not making that up. Wikipedia is.

Morrow's Near No-No

In the year of the No Hitter, Brandon Morrow of the Blue Jays was looking to become the 6th man to accomplish the feat this season. He was facing the Rays (of course) and he had their number throughout the game. He was brilliant on the mound and had a no hitter in 9th and a 1-0 lead. There was two outs with a man on first due to a walk and Evan Longoria was up. He managed to hit Jay Morrow's fastball to the right side. Aaron Hill tried to get the ball with a diving effort but couldn't control it. Ruled a base hit. So much built up for nothing. Well not nothing. Morrow still got the complete game shutout with an amazing 17 k's, something that might be more impressive than a no hitter. Hill and Morrow must feel awful as this was the second time this year a no hitter was broken up in the 9th with two outs to go.

P.S. JOYCE!!!

Is This the End of Golf? I Mean Tiger?

Golf, Tiger: same thing.

When Tiger Woods came back from the worst thanksgiving ever (except for Chandler Bing of course), there was skepticism about Tiger's return and that his personal trouble might affect him on the course. That might be the case as Tiger continues to sink in his career. He ended his worst event ever at the Bridgestone Invitational when he shot a 77 today and finished 18 over par. He tied for 78th out of 80 players. Tiger's shaky new life has affected very much as he has cut down on practices because of family. The PGA Championship is coming up and it seems like he is far from being a favorite to win the event. Is Tiger no longer Tiger? I hope so.

P.S. Golf is the most boring thing imaginable. The only other sport I would like to see less of is poker and that isn't even a sport. With Tiger slumping, people will care less about the game.

The Knicks are Still Talking to Isiah?

It was obvious that Isiah Thomas' time with the Knicks wasn't good at all. He had salary cap issues while there, a sexual harassment lawsuit, and a losing record for every season with the Knicks. The only ones that don't see these obvious flaws are the Knicks. The Knicks have actually contacted Isiah Thomas and hired him as a consultant. Thomas will still be at FIU as he will only give advice to Knicks GM, Donnie Walsh. Until this story came out, I thought the Raiders were the most dysfunctional team in the World. Why would still look for advice from a guy drove your franchise further into the ground? The fact that the Knicks still want something from Isiah Thomas is unacceptable.

DAMN YOU NOLAN RYAN!!!

I hate to curse at any hall of famer, especially Nolan Ryan, but I have to. Ryan's group has out bid Mark Cuban's group for the Texas Rangers. MLB has been running the team during it's bankruptcy and has done well with the Rangers before this auction. Nolan Ryan will now run the Rangers again. I am actually saddened by this news. While it is cool that a baseball great is now in charge of a baseball team, I wanted Mark Cuban to own the Rangers. OK, maybe not necessarily the Rangers but any team in Baseball. He's the kind of guy who always wants a winning product and, with no salary cap in baseball, you would've had that with the Rangers. Baseball needs more Mark Cubans in baseball to make things much more interesting.

P.S. And also to compete with the Steinbrenners in New York. DAMN IT!!!

A Look Back at Year One

Yesterday was my one year anniversary of my blog. One year of ranting about sports and complaining about things that are outside my control. I must say I do quite enjoy it. I look back and remember the good times: the Saints winning the Superbowl, Donovan's goal at the World Cup, Gilbert Arenas not learning about guns and sports from Plaxico Burress. But we must never forget the bad times: The deaths of many including Jon Wooden, The Yankees Winning the World Series, The fact that every ref at the World Cup was blind.

The Sports World must continue to move forward in making the games more fair: Adding instant replay to Soccer and Baseball, Putting a Salary cap in baseball, Getting rid of Al Davis. But I must look back at the original problem that I first blogged about: NO PLAYOFFS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!! How does the NCAA and the BCS allow this? After seeing the money grab of the schools this off season, you'd think they would be in favor of more games.

I even have another solution: Take the BCS conferences and have their champions play in their respective bowl games: the ACC to the Orange Bowl, the "Big 12" to the Fiesta Bowl, the "Big Ten" and "Pac 10" to the Rose bowl, and the Big East to play wherever they want. For the two spots remaining, take a couple of champions from the mid major conferences (based on a mid major poll if you have to) and throw them into whatever game you want. Play those BCS Bowl games and the winners face each other in a two round playoff. The Rose Bowl winner will face the Fiesta Bowl winner, and the Orange Bowl winner will face the Sugar Bowl winner. Basically West and East Title Games. Have those winners face each other in a West vs. East National Title Game. The season would still matter and the Conference titles would have more meaning.

P.S. Or just keep having a popularity contest to see who the so called National Champion or Prom Queen. Hope Nick Saban puts plenty of lipstick.

600th Disappointment

After 46 at bats and a long haul of media attention, Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run of his career. Eternity seemed to have gone by since 599 and A-Rod finally has the monkey off his back. But how should the sports world view this achievement? The answer is that this accomplishment will be tarnished forever and anything A-Rod does in the future will be tarnished forever. As a known Steroid user in the past, A-Rod has lost all prestige with his home run swings and his performance. Historians will always look at his achievements with asterisk and him as a player who was dirty.

P.S. Favre has stated that he will return if he is healthy. See, he already has a different mood.

The Boy Who Cried 'Retirement'

Does anyone actually believe this? Many sources are reporting that Brett Favre has told the Vikings he plans to retire. This is the third time in as many years that Favre has declared his retirement. Both times before, Favre has come back: once for the Jets and once for the Vikings. This can't be the end of Brett Favre. He loves the game too much and just doesn't want to go to Training Camp. He missed Camp last year and did great throughout the season and figures he can pull it off again. His so called retirements have become numb to the Sports World and no one will believe him unless Week 1 comes and he's not behind the center.

Training Camp Woes

The NFL Training Camps have brought on some interesting stories so far. One being the grudge workouts that Mike Shanahan has used on Albert Haynesworth because of his lack of cooperation during the off season and the his complaining about the new 3-4 defense. He has not been able to practice with the team because he keeps failing the harsh physical fitness test. Obviously Shanahan is mad at Albert and wants him put in his place. He may also want to make an example out of Albert to the rest of the team saying he's the one in charge. I wonder what Mike Singletary would've done. He would've added a hill to those 300 yard sprints.

Meanwhile, a couple of noted holdouts are happening during the camps. Darelle Revis is holding out for more money as he is not happy with his current contract. Revis is of course the best defensive player that the Jets have and Revis knows it. Then there is Ndamukong Suh who has yet to sign with the Lions as there are rumors he wants more money than Sam Bradford. One of Suh's agents, however, says they don't want more money than Bradford. Though not technically a holdout, it does raise some minor trouble for the Lions if they can't come to terms with Suh soon. As for Revis, good luck there. Revis wants to be the highest paid CB in the league and doesn't like the current offers from the Jets. This one may last a while.

P.S. Okay, maybe a mountain instead of a hill.